Can You Hear Me?
by PeaceLoveParvati
Summary: Darcy inadvertently angers Amora on her already-bad day, and the Enchantress lashes out with an unknown curse. The only problem is that the cure is true love's kiss, and Darcy doesn't believe in love.


Amora growled under her breath as yet another mortal brushed against her on the street, clenching her fists to stop herself from lashing out too badly. It wasn't as if the mortals knew that they were in her presence. She looked just like one of them, so that she could watch Thor without being noticed. She'd almost made it to the tower he now called home when a woman knocked into her from behind, sending her to her knees on the concrete. That was _it!_ She threw her hand out, the green bolt of magic leaving her before she really thought about it. The bolt struck the woman in the back as she hurried away, not even noticing that she'd hurt anyone.

Amora bit her lip, the unfamiliar emotion of remorse threatening to surface. She wasn't even certain which curse she'd used, she'd been so blind with anger at her current predicament. She didn't even know who the Midgaridian was, or if she had a way to break whichever curse it happened to be. But there was no point in dwelling on it now. What was done could no longer be changed. Amora pushed herself to her feet and continued on, hoping to salvage her completely ruined day by spying on the love of her life.

Darcy practically skipped into the lobby of the tower, raising her hand in greeting to the current person behind the desk, a guy whose name she'd never bothered to learn. They never lasted more than a week before Tony either got tired of seeing the same person, or they accidentally let a terrorist in. (That had been one time, but the most memorable day of her life in New York so far.) It wasn't until she was in the elevator on her way to the communal floor that she realized anything was wrong.

"Good day, Ms. Lewis. I trust you are well?" JARVIS asked as the elevator moved. Darcy opened her mouth to respond, and... nothing came out. She could make her lips form the words, but her throat didn't seem to work anymore. She frowned and tried again, with the same results. "Ms. Lewis?"

She wasn't really sure what to do, so as soon as the elevator stopped she was running out to find someone who would be able to communicate with her silently. Her best bet was Clint, since the archer had been teaching her sign language for months now. She had a good enough grasp of it to have full conversations with him, which would be very good in this instance. She was in luck; Clint was lounging on the couch, playing with his phone while Steve and Bucky watched some random movie on the TV. She waved her arms to get their attention, and then started signing as quickly as she could.

 _"Clint! I don't know what's wrong with me! My voice won't work!"_ she signed frantically, massaging her throat afterwards, hoping maybe this was just a bad dream or something. There wasn't much she loved more than talking, after all.

"What?" he demanded. "Since when? You were talking fine before you left."

 _"If I knew what happened, I would have already fixed it. I didn't notice anything was wrong until I couldn't answer JARVIS a little bit ago. I think I scared him, by the way. Could you tell him I'm okay?"_

"Yeah, sure. Hey, JARVIS, Darcy says she's fine. Her voice just isn't cooperating right now," Clint called up to the ceiling. Then he focused his gaze back on her, studying her carefully. "Try talking again. I want to see what happens."

She opened her mouth again, ready to tell him off and maybe cuss him out a little, but nothing came out. She was sure her face was red with the effort by the time she gave up, and she didn't care. Instead, she threw herself down onto the couch beside Steve and buried her face in his shoulder to hide her frustrated tears. He didn't protest, probably because he was so worried. They all knew how much Darcy valued her words.

"Okay... that's really weird. At least we still have a way to communicate, though. I'm completely fluent in sign language, and so is Natasha. I've been working with Steve a little," Clint babbled, clearly uncomfortable with Darcy's display of emotions.

"I'm fluent," Bucky spoke quietly. "Learned a couple decades ago. It's one thing that stuck with me all this time."

"And I'm good enough to understand at least half of what she's been saying without you translating. Which, thanks, Clint," Steve informed them, glaring at Clint in the end. Clint shrugged sheepishly.

"What can I say? I was a little distracted by the sudden lack of noise," he protested. Darcy turned to glare at him, too, and he raised his hands in surrender.

 _"Fix me!"_ she demanded angrily.

"If I knew how, I would!" Clint assured her. I think the most we can hope is that it'll wear off on it's own, though. Thor might have a better idea. This just screams 'Loki'," Clint replied, frowning. "He can probably give us a time frame."

"This was not the work of my brother, though I can see how you would mistake it," Thor informed them an hour later. "He is safely locked away where he could harm no Midgardians again. This appears to be the work of the Enchantress."

 _"Who is she, and why the fuck is she attacking_ _ **me**_ _?"_ Darcy demanded. Thankfully, Thor's allspeak seemed to work with sign language, too.

"Amora is a former love of mine, from Asgard. She betrayed me long ago, and I do not speak of her. She was banished, but she disappeared many years ago. It seems she is once again attempting to win me back. Though why she would curse you, I am unsure. Perhaps she thinks you of great import to me, as Jane is," Thor replied. Darcy raised an eyebrow, trying not to be insulted. "Not that you are of little import! I simply meant..."

 _"I get it. You love Jane in a different way, and you think Amora assumed differently. That doesn't tell me how long I'm stuck like this."_

Thor grimaced, looking apologetic. "I am afraid there is no time limit on this curse. It can be broken only by true love's kiss. She had cursed me with this same spell, once, long ago. But that is a story for a different time."

 _"True love. I don't_ _ **believe**_ _in true love! I've never been in love in my life!_ _ **Fix this!**_ _"_

"There is nothing to be done, Lady Darcy. I cannot help you," Thor said, quietly for him. Darcy was running out of the room before he could say another word, too upset to stay and talk anymore.

"It isn't so bad," Tony told her, smiling slightly at her angry look. "Don't give me that. Haven't you noticed that everyone's attention is focused on you now? You can't make any sounds, so we all pretty much have to stare at you in case you decide you've got something to say. I almost regret never learning the language myself. I'm pretty sure Clint is not a reliable translator."

 _"He's not. But I think it's funny, so I don't try to correct it. Not that I could."_

"See, no idea what you just said, so I'm going to pretend you're agreeing with me," he told her, still grinning. She nodded, allowing a small smile. "On a more serious note, Thor told us all what the cure is. You don't have any interest in anyone around here? Nobody at all?"

 _"Definitely not you, if that's what you're fishing for."_ Darcy frowned at him, knowing he couldn't understand her. There wasn't anybody around to translate for her, either. The others had all gone out, leaving Tony behind as her babysitter. As if she didn't know they were taking turns watching her. She was never alone anymore, constantly under someone's watch. It didn't make her feel safe, just annoyed. She wasn't some damsel in distress!

"I'm assuming that's a no?" he asked, tilting his head. He smirked when she flipped him off. "Finally, something I understand!"

She mouthed 'Fuck off' at him before storming out of the room. She'd been doing a lot of that lately. The only two people she could stand to be around (at least until Jane got back from Jersey tomorrow) were Steve and Bucky. They didn't mock her, or treat her any differently. In fact, they were usually the only two who would have full conversations with her anymore. Nobody else had enough patience. (Thor probably would, but she was avoiding him. He'd taken to apologizing everytime he saw her.)

It had to have been Tony's idea. Nobody else would have come up with this, excluding maybe Clint, but she was pretty sure Clint was a little bit afraid of her at this point. He knew exactly what her taser could do, unlike Tony. He'd be learning as soon as she found him again.

"I'm sure he didn't actually tell everyone you wanted each of us to kiss you to see if we could break the curse," Steve reasoned when she'd finished ranting about the latest prank being played on her.

 _"He did, and he'll pay with his life. Or his balls, I haven't decided yet. He's totally getting tased at least, like, twice."_

"That's a little excessive, don't you think?" Bucky asked, grinning. The two of them had found her hiding place fairly quickly, although it wasn't them that she'd been hiding from. She knew those two were gentlemen and wouldn't just suddenly kiss her. Unlike each of the other Avengers. And random SHIELD agents. And Stark Industries employees. And a couple random people on the street, which she was still trying to figure out.

 _"It's not enough, if you ask me. He's an ass, and he must pay."_

"I'm not saying he's not an ass, but... you're talking torture. Cruel torture that I'm sure you'll enjoy far too much," Bucky reasoned. "Why not just retaliate with a different prank? Compromise his coffee, have his lab assistants help you with something in the lab that will get him twice as bad as the kissing thing."

 _"There is nothing worse than the kissing thing. Do you know how many times my mouth has been raped today?! Twenty-six times!"_

"That's... actually a lot more than I thought. And a really weird way to phrase that. Must be a modern thing. I don't think he actually meant to hurt you or anything. He's trying to help, in his weird, socially awkward way. Tony doesn't know how to be a good friend, so he makes it up as he goes. I think this was just him trying to help you find a way to get what you want," Steve told her seriously.

"Steve is right. Stark is an ass, but he's at least trying to help you. You need a kiss to talk again, so he's making sure you get kisses," Bucky agreed.

 _"I thought I made it clear that I don't believe in love. No kiss is going to help me, because I don't want a man- or woman- to save me. I want to be able to do this for myself."_ She crossed her arms, trying to signal that the conversation was over.

"I don't think this is something you can manage by yourself, love," Bucky told her gently. "But we're with you every step of the way. If you don't get your voice back, you know you've got us."

"And maybe forgive Thor? It wasn't really his fault Amora lashed out at you, you know. He feels terrible, and I know you've been avoiding him," Steve threw in. Darcy glared at him sulkily. "What? It's true."

 _"All he does anymore is apologize. A girl can only take so much of that before it gets old."_

"Have you actually told him that you forgive him? Because maybe he'd back off if you actually said it," Bucky suggested, earning his own glare.

 _"I can't_ _ **say**_ _much of anything, now, can I?"_ She took pity on his sad look after a few seconds, sighing silently. _"I'm sorry. I'm just angry with this whole situation. Neither of you have done anything to piss me off today. I shouldn't be lashing out."_

"It's okay, Darce. We get it," Steve assured her with a small smile.

"It'll pass. We'll figure something out, just like always," Bucky added, squeezing her shoulder as he passed for the elevator.

Three months passed with not a word from Darcy. She'd taken to locking herself in her room for long periods of time while she tried to force words out. Jane had caught her doing this more than once, and the lectures were not worth the failed efforts. Life went on as usual at the tower, with no signs of Amora. Darcy felt herself slipping back into depression, something she thought she'd shaken off years ago. It was with a heavy heart that she started making arrangements to go back to her family in Pennsylvania, at least for a while. She needed space from the constant action, and the possibility of a worse fate than silence.

Of course, she couldn't book tickets over the phone, so she'd had to use the internet... which Tony was constantly monitoring. The morning of her flight, the entire team was waiting for her in the kitchen with frowns.

"Did you think you could leave without saying goodbye?" Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow at Darcy's shocked expression.

"We don't know why you feel the need to go, but we weren't going to let you go without a proper send-off, at the very least," Clint told her. She nodded, stepping forward to hug him. Her hands were shaking too badly to sign.

"Do you want one of us to go with you, at least for a few days? Just to make sure you're safe, explain things to your family," Bucky asked, watching her. She shook her head, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

 _"I just need some time away from this craziness. I've been emailing my sister, and she reminded me that my mother's birthday is in two weeks. I'm going to stay at least until that's passed. Who knows, maybe when I come back I'll have my voice."_

"You're not leaving because we've made you uncomfortable, right?" Bruce asked quietly, looking troubled. He'd kept his distance from her since she'd moved in, and she hadn't seen him since she'd lost her voice. She was honestly surprised that he was here now. She shook her head, unsure if he could sign or not.

 _"No. You've all been great, actually. I just need... I don't know what I need. That's why I'm going."_

"We understand. Just... keep in touch," Jane told her, smiling through her tears. "I'll miss you."

"We all will," Steve added.

The drive to the airport was silent, Darcy and Jane both crying while Steve and Bucky sat in the front without saying a word. It wouldn't have been fair, because they wouldn't have been able to see Darcy's replies, and Jane was too distraught to translate. And with a final hug to all three, she was on the plane to go home.

"Geez, sis, you look like hell," her sister said, smirking. "When you told me what happened, I kind of assumed you'd revert back to your old self, but not quite this much. Weren't the others helping at all?"

Darcy shook her head, not willing to admit that this was a lie. _"They tried, but this isn't really something other people can help me with. The only supposed cure is true love's kiss, and you know how I feel about love."_

"I know you've always been crazy. I also know you're not being honest with yourself. You've got that same look in your eyes that Brian gets every time he looks at me. You're in love already, you're just too stubborn to admit it to yourself. You could be cured already, Darce!" Diana protested, raising an eyebrow. Darcy shook her head again.

 _"You're seeing love in everyone else because you just recently got married. It's that thing, where all new brides want everyone else to be happily in love, too. But I'm not, and I won't ever be. I don't need no man."_

"It's Captain America, isn't it?" her sister asked knowingly, earning a blush. "Ooh, it is!"

 _"It's not."_ Darcy crossed her arms, glaring at her sister. Her blush hadn't faded, but she wasn't lying this time. Her sister seemed to realize that. _"Look, Diana, I'm tired. I really just want to go home and let Mom fuss over me for an hour before going to bed. Okay?"_

"Okay. But I'm not done with this conversation. By the end of your visit, you'll be ready to admit it. Let's go," Diana replied, nodding.

A week into her visit, Darcy was ready to go back. She'd promised to stay through her mother's birthday, but she was regretting it. She'd texted the others several times, but the only one who would reply was Jane. She'd had no news of any of her friends, and it was starting to worry her.

"What's got you so freaked out?" Diana asked, sitting beside her on the small couch. Darcy frowned, staring down at her phone as if she could will a text into existence. "That's not going to work. 'A watched pot never boils', as Mom always says."

 _"I haven't heard from anyone in a while. I'm starting to get worried."_

"Worrying about anyone in particular?" Diana asked, smiling. Darcy's blush was back full-force, and she refused to meet her sisters gaze. "Oh, come on. You can tell me!"

 _"You guessed Captain America, and you weren't far off. But I don't like Steve as anything more than an annoying older brother. His best friend, however... I've grown fond of him."_

"You're spending too much time with Thor. You're starting to pick up some of his speech patterns," her sister teased. Darcy rolled her eyes. "Are you ready to admit that this is love? Ready for that cure?"

 _"I'm pretty sure the love has to be returned for that to work. And I'm also pretty sure Bucky isn't interested in anyone, much less me. But it's a nice thought."_

"So you DO admit it!" Diana squealed. Darcy sank down into the couch, wishing it would swallow her up. "Okay, so we need to figure out what your next move is. I'm all for you just jumping him when you get back, of course."

 _"I'd probably get thrown across the room. But it might be worth it, especially if I magically get my voice back."_

"Wait! Do you have to confess your love first? It might not work if you don't tell him you love him. But that might get confusing, because you've been adamant about not falling in love ever... I'm babbling. I'm just so happy for you!" Diana told her, grinning.

 _"You always babble. And you're way ahead of yourself. You're assuming he could have feelings for me."_

"Well, there's one way to find out. I'll cover for you if you want to leave early. Just like when we were kids," Diana offered, pulling Darcy into a hug. And damn, did she really want to leave early. But... oh, what the hell. Her mother could yell at her later.

 _"Drive me to the airport?"_

 _"I need you to not freak out, okay?"_ she asked as soon as she found Bucky. He gave her a confused look, probably wondering why she was back so early, but nodded in agreement. And then froze when she lunged forward and kissed him with everything she had.

"What was that for?" Bucky asked, staring at her with wide (and maybe hopeful?) eyes. She smiled slightly, reaching up to touch her throat. She was too scared to try talking just yet. Bucky must have taken it to mean that she still couldn't, though, because his face closed off and he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" she gasped, her voice hoarse from disuse. Bucky froze, spinning to face her with wide eyes. "Oh thank god! You have no _idea_ how infuriating it is to not be able to talk!"

"You..." he started, trailing off as if unsure of what to say.

"You, actually. I should, uh... well, I love you?" Darcy said, phrasing it like a question at the end. He was still staring at her. "Oh come on. You didn't lose your voice, did you? Because that would suck."

"No, I didn't. I just thought you weren't in love with anyone," Bucky said, visibly forcing himself to calm down.

"Well, yeah, that's what I've always said. Unfortunately, my heart doesn't always listen to my head. It's a pain in the ass, let me tell you. My mind is all, 'you're a strong, independent woman who don't need no man', and my brain is like, 'except he's so hot and nice, and you need him!'" she told him, grinning. "It's a constant internal war. My heart finally won."

"Yeah, I can hear that," Bucky replied, a smile starting to form.

"And clearly you love me too, or that wouldn't have worked. How long have you been sitting on those feelings?" she asked, tilting her head.

"From the beginning," he admitted. "But I wasn't about to force myself on you. And I wasn't going to make you uncomfortable by confessing when you said you didn't want anyone. That's not who I am."

"I know. It's part of why I love you," she told him. He grinned. "If you want to hear the rest, you better take me somewhere else. I don't feel like sharing with the others yet."

"Your floor or mine?" Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mine is more private," Darcy said quietly, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously. She most certainly did not laugh when Bucky all but threw her over his shoulder and ran for the elevator. (Okay, so she did, but could you blame her?)


End file.
